Improvement in bag-locks



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE JAIRU S L. SKINNER, OF AMHERST, MASSACHUSETTS.

IMPROVEMENT IN BAGLOCKS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 147,439, dated February 10,1874; application filed u November 12, 1873.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JAIRUs L. SKINNER, of Amherst, in the county of Hampshire and State of Massachusetts, have invented an Improved Mail-Bag Lock, of which the following is a speciiieation:

Figure l is a face view, partly in section, of a mail-bag lock of my improved construction. Fig. 2 is a transverse section thereof on the line c o, Fig. l. Fig. 3 isa detail longitudinal section through the spring-bolt and lockinghasp; Fig. 4, a transverse section of the latter and its receiving-socket, Figs. 3 and et being on an enlarged scale. Fig. 5 is a longitudinal section of the bag-holder.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the iigures.

This invention relates to anew construction of a self-locking mail-bag lock, and has for its object to insure great convenience in locking and unlocking, and to make a bag so locked much more secure than the bag-locks as presently made. I dispense with the use of a detachable lock which could be misplaced, lost, or removed, and embody the lock in the bag in such a way that the closing flapof the bag will be locked at different places throughout its length, and not at 011e single point, as was heretofore usually the case. I provide the inner face of the ilap with a series of projecting hasps or staples, for the reception of each of which a socket is provided on the bag, a springbolt sliding` into each socket to lock the hasp when inserted, and all the several spring-bolts in the inail-bag are connected with the bolt or bolts of the lock. So when `it is desired to open the bag they will be simultaneously withdravul from all the hasps, and at once release the iiap, and allow the same to be swung open. The lap thus locked will so eliectually keep the bag closed that no matter can be removed i'roin the latter without cutting a hole in the bag, whereas, with the present bag it is only necessary to cut the strap, pull it out, and then take the mail, without injuring the bag at all. In my improved mailbag lock I dispense en tirely with a strap.

In the accompanying drawing, the letter A represents the body of the bag. B is the flap of the same. On the inner side of the lap, which is shown open in Figs. 1 and 2, are rigidly secured, by rivets or other equivalent fastening, a series of inwardly-projecting staples or hasps, D D, all of which I prefer'to arrange in line, as shown in Fig. l, but which, it' desered, may also be placed more or less out ot' line. The face of the bag has a series of socle ets or receptacles, E, for the staples l), each socket E being in line with one of the said hasps or staples, as shown, so that when the flap B is closed over the bag each hasp will enter its socket. Each socket E is a metal boX, preferably cast of malleable iron, on which there are formed suitableV rivets for fastening it to the bag, and on which there is also at once east an extension, a, for the reception of a spring-bolt, F, the spring-bolt entering that part of the socket over which the hasp is placed, in the manner shown in Fig. 3. The bottom of the socket is formed by a spring, G, which, when the bolt is withdrawn from the hasp or staple will throw the latter out, and thus swing the flap open automatically. That face of the bolt F which is turned toward the hasp is rounded, so that when the hasp is pressed into the socket it will gradually crowd the bolt out of its wayuntil it, the hasp, strikes the spring G, and presses the same far enough to allow the bolt to spring through the hasp, and lock the saine to the bag. rllhus, as there is, or may be, four, more or less, hasps on the flap, and as many sockets on the bag, and a springbolt for each socket, it is evident that when the iiap is closed down over the bag, and each hasp secured with its springboltone after another, the whole length of the flap will be locked to the bag, and, that thus the latter will be properly closed along its entire opening. In the middle of the bag I prefer to place a lock, H, of suitable construction, but pret'- erably of the construction shown in Fig. l, and which forms the subject of a separate application for a patent. ln this lock a sliding bar, b, which connects` with two levers, d d., that are pivoted at c c, in the lock, is moved down by the key when the key is applied to open the lock, and when thus moved causes the levers d d., to vibrate on their pivots, and to swing 4their upper ends toward each other. 'Ihe upper ends of these levers d dare, by rods ff, connected with the nearest springbolts F F, respectively, and these bolts again are connected with the springbolts nearest to them by rods g g, said rods being bent in the manner indicated in Fig. 3. lhus when the key is applied to the lock to move the bar b down and vibrate the levers el d, all the spring-bolts F F along the entire bag will at once be drawn toward the middle of the bag, )rovided the lock is in the middle, or toward the lock7 Whereever that may be, and Will thus be Withdrawn simultaneously from all the hasps, releasing the same, and allowing the several springs G G, to throw the iap open. Thus the lock can be closed Without the use of a key, since the bolts will enter the hasps automatically, and each hasp can be locked separately. But the entire bag is opened at once when the key is applied, and although the locked portion thus extends across the entire Width of the bag, it nevertheless leaves the bag iiexible crosswise, and convenient to use and handle. In the ap B is an oblong opening through which the address-tag I can be seen. For the reception of this tag a box, J, is secured to the under side of the flap, but left open at one end, through which end the tag may be applied and removed, all of which is fully shown in Fig. 5.

It is evident that my invention is equally applicable to all other sorts of bags, besides mail-bags, and also to trunks and other receptacles capable of receiving the same.

I claiml. The combination of the springbolts F F With the extensions a a of the sockets E E, said spring-bolts being connected With each other, and with the lock to be operated, simultaneously, substantially in the manner herein shown and described.

2. The socket E, having the extension a for the spring-bolt F, and a recess tqreceive the spring G for acting on the hasp, said socket being provided With means for attaching it to the bag, and all in the combination herein shown and described.

3. The combination of the bar b, and levers d d, With the connecting-rodsff, springbolts F F, and rods g g, all arranged for operation as described.

J AIRUS L. SKINNER.

Witnesses:

WM. A. DIeKINsoN, B. R. FRANKLIN. 

